Penetration Testing Services for Healthcare
Every system that touches electronic protected health information (ePHI) carries regulatory weight beyond typical IT risk. A certified penetration tester scopes testing to the systems and access paths that touch patient data, and maps every vulnerability to the exact CFR section your HIPAA assessor evaluates.
ePHI Systems Carry Risks a Standard Scan Won't Map to Your Regulatory Requirements
A vulnerability scan finds open ports and outdated software. It doesn't connect those findings to 164.308(a)(8), 164.310, or 164.312, the specific CFR sections an assessor actually evaluates. That gap leaves your compliance team translating technical output into regulatory language on their own.
Electronic health record systems, patient portals, and connected medical devices each touch ePHI differently, and each carries its own exposure. Testing scoped to these systems specifically shows where patient data is actually reachable, not just where a generic scan happened to point.
Where Patient Data Actually Lives
Electronic Health Record Systems
Testing evaluates access controls and authentication paths around your EHR platform, the system most directly tied to ePHI exposure.
Patient Portals and Web Applications
Patient-facing applications get tested for the vulnerability classes that could expose ePHI to an unauthorized user.
Connected Medical Devices
Where medical devices connect to your network, testing evaluates whether that connection creates a path to broader systems.
Business Associate Connections
Third-party integrations that touch ePHI get evaluated for the access and exposure they introduce to your environment.
Know What the Proposed HIPAA Rule Would Change
Evidence Your Compliance Team Can Use Directly
Electronic health record systems, patient portals, and connected medical devices each touch ePHI differently, and each carries its own exposure. Testing scoped to these systems specifically shows where patient data is actually reachable, not just where a generic scan happened to point.
Vulnerabilities arrive cited alongside the exact CFR section they map to, so your compliance team hands the report over without translating technical findings into regulatory language first.
Remediation evidence feeds directly into your HIPAA risk analysis documentation, supporting the ongoing risk management process 164.308(a)(1) already requires.
Testing Respects What's Actually at Stake
The final report doesn't stop at flagging what's wrong. Each finding sits next to the specific CFR section it maps to, 164.308(a)(8), 164.310, or 164.312, organized the same way your assessor reviews the rule, section by section, not the way a generic vulnerability scanner sorts by severity.
The engagement delivers a Risk Impact Brief for leadership, a Technical Pentest Report for your compliance and security teams, and an Attestation Letter your assessor can review directly.
What Compliance and Security Teams Ask First
Does testing map directly to HIPAA requirements?
Yes. Every vulnerability gets mapped to 164.308(a)(8), 164.310, or 164.312, the specific CFR sections your assessor evaluates, with the regulation cited alongside each one in the report.
Is penetration testing currently required under HIPAA?
Not yet as a standalone mandate. HHS's proposed 2025 Security Rule update would require penetration testing at least once every 12 months and vulnerability scanning at least every six months, performed by a qualified person, codified at 45 CFR 164.312(h). That rule remains proposed, not finalized.
Who owns the report and the underlying data after the engagement ends?
Testing scopes to the systems and access paths that touch ePHI: your EHR platform, patient portals, connected medical devices where applicable, and business associate connections.
How does this feed into our HIPAA risk analysis?
Remediation evidence feeds directly into your existing risk analysis documentation, supporting the ongoing risk management process 164.308(a)(1) requires.
Is a retest included if a vulnerability gets remediated?
Yes, at no additional cost. Once your team reports the fix, a tester checks it inside the retest window set at kickoff.
Will testing disrupt systems supporting live patient care?
Testing methods get matched to what each system can safely absorb. Non-disruptive methods apply to any system supporting live patient care.
How is patient data handled if testers encounter it during testing?
Data handling terms specific to ePHI get confirmed before testing begins, covering exactly how any patient data encountered during the engagement gets handled, stored, and reported.